JUNE REVIEW
A memorable month of June saw us record three winners at Royal Ascot and success in the Italian Derby, amongst 22 winners that saw us move within touching distance of the £3,000,000 prize-money mark for the year.
Blue Bolt had made a winning reappearance in the Listed Conqueror Stakes at Goodwood in early May and the daughter of Blue Point maintained her unbeaten start to the season with a wonderful win in the Group 2 Duke Of Cambridge at Royal Ascot, travelling strongly under Colin Keane and picking up in fine style. Runner-up in the Sun Chariot last autumn, she looks an improved filly this year and it would be fantastic to see her win at the top level, with the Falmouth likely to be up next.
The month had got underway with Venetian Prince scoring by a neck in the Group 2 Italian Derby, coming with a late run under Jason Watson to land Italy’s richest race, in doing so becoming the first Kingsclere-trained winner since Glint Of Gold in 1981. It was a career-best performance from the son of Group 1 winner Arabian Queen, who has now produced four black-type performers, including the brilliant See The Fire. Venetian Prince was unable to replicate the form just over a fortnight later on very different ground at Royal Ascot, but is a highly-talented colt with a very bright future.
Generic became our second winner of the Royal Meeting with a taking success in the Group 3 Hampton Court Stakes, with James Doyle on board. He was having just his fourth start and his previous outing had seen him finish second to Constitution River in the Dee Stakes, so he looks a very high-class performer in the making and has since been sold to race abroad.
Our third winner of the week came in the Wokingham with Double Rush, who was recording his third win from as many starts since joining us earlier this year. He has developed into a hugely exciting sprinter and, with this win coming off a mark of 105, his days in handicaps are numbered. The July Cup is the obvious next step and hopefully there is further improvement to come.
A winner on his reappearance at Newmarket in April, Mister Winston landed a very nice prize with success in a valuable handicap on Oaks day at Epsom, with Oisin Murphy on board. He had a tricky passage through the race, which made the performance all the more commendable, but was unable to match that when down the field in the Royal Hunt Cup. However, there could well be another big handicap in him this term.
Hard To Believe won two of his three starts in novices before a below-par effort on handicap debut at York in May. However, he immediately bounced back with a win at Newmarket, picking up well in the closing stages under Rob Hornby. He should have plenty more to offer over middle-distances in the season ahead, as does Mythical Bay, who was winning for the first time on turf when scoring with plenty to spare at Newbury under Oisin Murphy. The son of New Bay looks an ideal candidate for a valuable middle-distance handicap this summer.
Point Of Contact won a big-field handicap at York in very game fashion in the hands of Ryan Moore. He had run well at the course on his previous start and could well land a nice prize this term, as can Spanish Voice, who was winning at Newmarket for the second time this season when scoring under Callum Hutchinson, having also won on the Rowley Mile at the Guineas meeting.
House Of Medici impressed with the manner of his success at Windsor, building on his debut third at Kempton Park to win in fine style under Oisin Murphy. The well-related son of Bated Breath is a colt to follow this season, as is Alfaraz, who got off the mark at the fifth attempt at Newmarket, in the hands of Rob Hornby. Out of a Listed winner in France, the son of Nathaniel got the better of two previous winners in what looked a warm contest.
Turret shed his maiden tag at the second time of asking, less than a month on from beating one home on his debut. He clearly learned plenty from that experience and this well-related Kingman colt is a smart prospect. That is also very much the case with Treble Nine, who is out of an unraced sister to Derby runner-up Khalifa Sat and landed a 1m6f maiden at Goodwood under Dan Muscutt on just his second start.
Ruby Wedding had shown ability in her previous four starts and her sixth on handicap debut at Ascot had worked out very well indeed. She was a warm order for a small-field contest at Hamilton and made the journey worthwhile, though P J McDonald had to be at his strongest to get her head in front on the line. She is progressive and can make a bold bid off her new mark, which also applies to Machadadorp, the daughter of Mehmas landing her second win from three career starts with an all-the-way success at Wetherby. Out of a Group-placed miler, I hope she will prove capable of challenging for some black type in due course.
Turty Tree made it fifth time lucky with victory in a valuable class 2 novice at Sandown Park, with Tom Marquand on board. He made most of the running to score and the son of New Bay can continue to give a good account of himself in middle-distance contests this summer off what remains a workable mark.
Crazee Icon got off the mark at the ninth attempt with a narrow victory at Chester under Jason Watson. She has a very consistent profile and has only gone up 3lbs, so she should continue to be very competitive. Those comments also apply to Nanoscience, who was gaining her second career win when making all in gutsy fashion at Wetherby under Oisin Murphy, before finishing third at Carlisle later in the month.
Cape Fear had bumped into one on a couple of occasions already this season, so it was very pleasing to see him get off the mark with a straightforward victory at Lingfield Park, with Callum Hutchinson on board. He goes handicapping off a fair mark and can progress this summer, as can King Of Berkshire, who was winning his second race of the season when justifying odds-on favouritism at Thirsk, with P J McDonald doing the steering. Though beaten under a penalty since, he should not be long in returning to winning ways.
Relentless Hero improved with each of three starts prior to getting off the mark on his latest outing at Lingfield Park, under a well-judged front-running ride from Callum Hutchinson. He was unable to back the form up at Chester last time, but should quickly be able to make amends.
Reigning Queen won on her third and final start at Wetherby, but very sadly she sustained a fatal injury shortly after crossing the line.